Port of Vancouver ships to slow down for endangered orcas

A female Southern Resident Killer Whale breaches in the Salish Sea between Washington State and British Columbia (Monika Wieland Shields/Shutterstock)

Some ships heading in and out of the Port of Vancouver will soon be going slower than normal to help protect the local endangered orca population.

According to a release, the move is a part of a first-of-a-kind study of the relationship between slower ship speeds, underwater noise levels and their effects on whales.

Existing scientific evidence shows underwater noise from vessels can interfere with killer whale echolocation clicks, calls and whistles.

This can inhibit the whales’ ability to hunt, navigate and communicate. Research also suggests slower vessels generate less underwater noise.

Orca calf Scarlett (J50) with Slick (J16). Photo by Naturalist Renee Beitzel, Puget Sound Express Whale Watching, Edmonds WA

Robin Silvester, president and chief executive officer of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, said the industry is committed to a healthy marine environment.

“We know that impacts to vessel schedules can be costly to the shipping industry, but we also know the more vessels that participate in the trial, the more robust the scientific analysis will be, and the greater the opportunity for trial data to support evidence-based decision making about future vessel noise management measures,” he said.

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